Domain Knowledge: A Must for Software Testing

In the past, testing was only a one dimensional discipline, where anyone with basic testing knowledge can test a product. However, with the specialization of test gaining importance, there has also been an increase in the need to have testers with knowledge in specific domains. The vertical or domain knowledge is becoming increasingly important as they will be able to test specific software better than others.

It is evident from the hiring process by many organizations that preference is given to people with domain knowledge rather than technical skills.

Below is a list of the advantages of having a person with domain knowledge.

1. Productivity

A person with domain knowledge will prove to be productive to the industry as he will be able to understand the problem in-depth and come up with solutions. This will in turn add value to the project and the product by ensuring that it meets the quality standards.

2. A Good User Interface

A profound knowledge on a specific product can improve the look and feel of the product. Furthermore, bugs can be detected at the initial stage of testing rather than at the last stage or when the product is launched.

3. Idea of Back end Processing

A person having domain knowledge will also have idea of the back end processing like data or codes and how they should be handled.

4. Able to differentiate between a trivial and a critical issue

Knowledge about how the application will be used and what are the expectations of the end user will give an idea to Quality Analyst whether a detected issue will either be trivial or critical to the systems functionality.

5. Technical Terms

A person with specific domain knowledge will be able to use and explain the issues in the business terminology or technical terms and this in turn will help him build rapport with the business team. For Example, a person with basic knowledge of computer will be able to explain in general terms the defects with the computer. However, an expert hardware engineer will be able to explain in technical terms the problems with the computer.

6. Better understanding of issues

It is better to hire an experienced professional rather than someone who is just out from college. An experienced professional will have immense knowledge about the domain and testing experience and in turn they will be able to understand better the various issues and further they will be able to bring out a better product.